The Final Frontier
by Consarn
Summary: At the end of the Cold Winter, three friends left a tyrunt for the Final Frontier. This sturdy orphan joins together with an old friend and a strange coward, in order to discover this Frontier for himself..
1. Chapter 1

**The Final Frontier**

A grim Chatot swung out a list and planted his blue wing on a spot halfway down. "Explain number seven to me, recruit: What do you mean by placing _exploring the Final Frontier_ as your ultimate goal for joining my guild?"

An entire world of experience and glory filled the gap between the recruit and the Guild Master. Unnerved by the silent room, the recruit struggled to give his confident answer.

"Uh, yeah! That's exactly it: to discover and explore the Final Frontier, and nothing less is acceptable. I know it's very, very high up there in terms of goals - maybe even a little impossible for someone like me - but anything else would be a lie. I want to see the world, of course, but to become so strong that I may reach the end of it? It sounds like such a great dream!"

The weathered Chatot ruffled his bright feathers. His countenance grew more dogged than when he first brought up the young Tyrunt's application, which transformed the singing bird into a dull, silent judge. Something hopeful glowed in the Chatot's eyes before and he was deeply impressed by the Tyrunt's physical potential.

The Tyrunt was large for his age. His hide shone healthily with a nice hue of grey that the extremely cold Winter couldn't kill. Compared to the other recruits, he was well-fed and obviously motivated beyond free meals and a place to sleep. A minute prior to this turn for the worse, the Tyrunt received _compliments _from the Guild Master on how resourceful he must be. As a possible recruit, his ability to upkeep his health as an orphan better than most parented children had interested the Chatot.

In the light of this new information, though, he now regarded the Tyrunt as if he was no more than a cruel joke. Though very young, the Tyrunt caught on to this shift quickly, melting his nervous grin and putting him on the defensive.

"This interview is over," the Chatot muttered coldly.

The walls of the spacious room used only for applicant reviews closed in around the Tyrunt. The Guild Master denied him. A judgment passed not on his prowess nor his determination, but on the core of his beliefs. The Tyrunt's passion which drove him forward, fierce as an Ekans, now constricted about its own length and killed itself prematurely.

"No, no! Don't w-wave me away just yet." The Tyrunt bowed his head and begged for a second chance. "My interview simply cannot end like this. I can explain everything that led me to this decision, and then you'll see that this goal is well placed."

Chatot addressed the four commanders sitting behind him with a dry glance. The four great commanders sat equidistant to one another and symmetrical to their Guild Master. Set up in this fashion, any would-be recruit could witness all of them in their great glory. Whether it intimidated or inspired the recruit tested but one essential aspect of an explorer.

Held against the strong flames of these four Pokémon, any story or explanation became petty and embarrassing. Pokémon chose from a wide range of morals and ethics as varied as Pokémon themselves. A recruit that owned the tenacity to say _I am right and you are wrong_ to them had a great chance of moving forward - provided they were polite while doing so, of course.

"I vote to end this here and now," Chatot said slowly, "but if one of you wishes to hear the child ramble, we will wait. Considering this new... information, I'm sure that you've all decided similarly."

The first commander, a bouncy Sylveon, showed sympathy towards the Tyrunt's cause. In the better half of the Tyrunt's interview her head bobbed about excitedly. She couldn't get enough of how, as she put it, "gosh-darn cute those Tyrunt's tiny arms are". Yet the Sylveon also conferred her agreement with the Chatot's decision by giving him a little nod - a silly attempt to hide how she just rejected the desperate applicant. Adorned with extravagant lengths of styled fur, however, the Sylveon couldn't hide it very well.

Second in the row and second to turn down the Tyrunt was a stern Mienshao, whose eyes didn't seem capable of looking anywhere but straight at the recruit. He didn't display any emotion before, but its arrival now did not bode well for the Tyrunt. When the Mienshao suddenly cut off his unsettling glare and scoffed indignantly, the Tyrunt turned his attention to the next commander; no further response was necessary from the contemptuous Mienshao.

A Sunflora, his second-to-last chance, debated quietly with herself. By the simple change in her posture - which looked like she was wilting - the Tyrunt could tell she was thinking very hard on the issue. Finally, however, she too shook her head. "oh my gosh," she whispered nervously, as if denying him was an accident. "Maybe when you're older."

The Tyrunt had all but given up hope by now. It was obvious that he had made a grievous mistake when he told them his aspirations. Disappointment tore at him, and he only desired to walk away with dignity.

But, slumped forward and straight-faced, a Pangoro still stood undecided. He was a tower of both brawn and lean features and deadly in a way only matched by the lean Mienshao two seats away from him. How inconceivable it was, at that bleak point, that the Pangoro's large paw rose slowly. His face remained expressionless as he inspected the small child. He stopped chewing on a small twig long enough to say: "eh. Go ahead, shoot."

Four varying degrees of exasperation came from his colleagues, but none more obvious than the Mienshao's groan. Severely frustrated, the Mienshao threw his paws up angrily. "But of course!" He bared his teeth and practically hissed at the Pangoro. "Leave it to Choko!" _Leave it to Choko _rung out to the recruit as something oft-repeated in the halls of the guild.

"Oh, what are you complaining about?" The little leaves on Choko's twig twisted about lazily as he chewed it. "Who's up next anyway. Some Joltik or another?" To express his opinion of that, he yawned loudly.

"You lethargic twig-eater!" Though the Tyrunt wouldn't admit it to the Mienshao's face, even he could think of a better insult than _twig-eater._

The Pangoro laughed loudly and swallowed his stick with a loud _gulp_. "Hey Maga, when I say the words _round two_, what do they mean to you?" The Mienshao tried to offer up a retort, but ended up shuddering when Choko coughed the twig back up. He resumed his chewing as if nothing happened. "That's what I thought." He waved his paw disdainfully. "Okay, short-arms, go."

The Tyrunt nodded ferociously and wasted no time. "Thank you Commander Choko! I-it all began with the heroes of time-"

"What doesn't nowadays?" Choko grunted and inspected the stick he coughed up. He wiped it off on his chest and put it back into his mouth.

He nodded, but didn't quite understand the interruption. "Uh, I suppose so. Without them, none of us would be here now," he guessed weakly. "A-anyway, t-they-"

"What's your name again?" The Pangoro had once again interrupted him.

"Did you allow me to talk just so you can interrupt me over and over?" The young Tyrunt snapped. Instantly after saying this, the Pokémon shrunk away, embarrassed and scared of the consequences. Everyone turned to see how the Pangoro would take it, but he only waited. "My name is Aorun, Commander Choko," the Tyrunt whimpered fearfully.

Choko nodded, accepting the shaking and whimpering as an apology. "If you become a part of my team, I will beat you for saying that. But for now, Aorun: tell me about the Heroes of Time."

They might not believe him, but what Aorun said was the truth: "the Heroes of Time... my friend and I knew them personally." The instant Chatot's eyes flashed with pure rage and his talons worked to roll his application back up, the Tyrunt desperately leaped into his story.

"My friend Leek - a Tepig - and I were playing by the river, in this meadow hidden away from view!" He cried out frantically, before the Chatot's talons sealed his fate. "Two months went by after the resolution reached by the Heroes of Time, and Leek was allowed out by his parents to go and play with me finally. I have no parents to tell me when to stay inside, so I was there watching the fierce Marowak Trixie speak to everyone in Treasure Town from the beginning."

Somehow, Aorun got the Chatot to quit rolling up the application. The stern Guild Master allowed it to unravel. He stared through the recruit and into the distance. Aorun turned around, but nothing was there anymore. Only empty space.

"It made me really moved and also really guilty to see her so upset and up on that stage everyday like a side-show. Trixie told us her sad story, talked about why the Time Gear Crisis was very bad and that trusting one another is very important. Or else the next time a disaster came up, she and her friends wouldn't be around to throw their lives away saving everybody."

"I know that she never changed her mind about anything in the daily speeches, but it devastated her more and more every time. She started to break down near the end of the first month, and if Inferno the Quilava didn't return, who knows what would have-"

The Guild Master started to flap his right wing about, trying to dispel all the talk about Trixie's condition after the Time Gear Crisis. "Enough, we get it," he choked out quietly. "Quit digressing and get to your story."

The Tyrunt nodded. "S-sorry, Guild Master. When I saw the two of them walking through our secret meadow one day, I just knew I had to go and talk to them. Leek was very scared, but my mind couldn't be changed; even so Trixie seemed a bit happier in the meadow than on the stage, both of them were still mourning over the death of their Grovyle friend. They were very confused on what I was trying to say at first - I was very nervous! But once they realized, they thanked me. And..." he faltered in his story, caught by emerging apprehension.

The Sylveon, who was so desperate to hide her disapproval, now leaned forward. "And _what?_" She asked eagerly. "Come on, is that really it?" Aorun yelped and scampered away as the Sylveon threw herself in front of his face. Her silky fur smacked against his nose and nearly made him sneeze on her. "Tell me, tell me, tell m_e!"_ She pouted angrily.

Choko sighed. "Quit it, Pep. Are you feeling okay, Aorun?"

Aorun was not. It confused him, but a slight stirring began in his stomach the further he dived into his memory of the Heroes of Time. "I don't really get it." It only hurt more Aorun when admitted it out loud to the commanders. "But trying to remember the happy times that came from this doesn't make me happy like it should. It makes me... sad."

Pep inspected him curiously and pawed at his small arms. It took a lot of effort on Aorun's part to ignore it. "Why?"

"Maybe because I'll never be able to recreate them, now," he said.

A collection of sighs showed that everyone in the room had once felt the same way. It made them all slightly more empathetic, and all the more curious to find out how this child was somehow related to the Heroes of Time. Aorun quelled the bad feelings in his stomach, and continued on with a tale that unsettled him when it should have provided him comfort.

"I-it was really funny," Aorun said after some time. "How much they surprised me. The were so easy to be around..."

* * *

**A Week Before the Coldest Winter**

The Quilava clapped his claws together excitedly. "I got it, Trixie - I figured this Tyrunt out! _T-t-t-tha_," he mimicked, "means _thank you_. And 'sor-eh... s-soo-rry'means 'sorry'!" Trixie shared in his excitement as she had shared in his confusion, nodding emphatically to her partner. "He's saying thank you for your speeches, and sorry because Grovyle... is gone." A slight damper rained on the two's victory over the trembling Tyrunt.

Caught in the bright sun and surrounded with tons of colorful flowers, however, they were able to move on. "Well, uh, wow." Trixie fumbled around with her claws, not knowing what to say. It amazed the Tyrunt to see these two Pokémon, battle-hardened and extremely powerful, smile and shrug like he and Leek would. "Thank you very much. It is very brave for you to come forward and tell me that- not a lot of Pokémon have taken the time, really."

Trixie gripped her bone club and looked up thoughtfully, her gleaming bone mask hiding everything but her hopeful eyes. "And there is no need to worry about that Grovyle," she told Aorun dreamily. "I dream of him every night, of him telling me that he is okay. He is happy now, back in a world that may be called his own. One day I will be able to visit him somehow, and this pain will be put behind me. And," she added, "I have Inferno with me. Inferno..."

she turned to the Quilava suddenly, grabbing onto his claws tightly. "You won't leave me again, right?" She pleaded. "Now that we've retired ourselves from exploring, there isn't anything that can take you away?" He lurched in closer to her, looked back to see Aorun and Leek still watching, and then quickly stopped his approach.

"Yes," he answered slowly, "we did it. We made it through everything, and now it's our time to relax. All is finally over between us and the Time Gears." Disregarding the two children and unable to resist any longer, the two embraced each other, laughing with crazed relief.

Leek nudged Aorun quietly. "My mom said they'd be this happy," the Tepig whispered to his friend. "She called it _closure_. Now they can have fun and do activities all day!"

"But it doesn't look like they know how," Aorun whispered back. Instead of enjoying their time in the meadow, the Marowak and the Quilava refused to quit from their very tight hug. Tears of joy fell from Trixie's eyes and out from under the bone helmet, watering the red flowers beneath her feet. "Maybe we should teach them!"

"Wuh_?!" _Leek cried out. "We can't teach the Heroes of Time how to do anything! They're the masters of everything!" Aorun cringed, his nerves completely shot; Leek spoke too loudly, and now the two Heroes were staring at them!

The Quilava took in a deep breath and released it in a long chuckle. "Teach us what, you two?"

He argued against approaching them, but now Leek looked more comfortable than ever in their presence. "Tag_!" _He yelled out happily. "We can teach the Heroes of Time how to play tag!"

A loud sob wrenched its way of the Marowak's throat. "_T-tag?"_ She sputtered out, confused. "Oh Arceus, I don't even remember the last time I had the chance. T-there's all this time now, t-to do these things. It really is all over, it is all over and we can be carefree again!_" _Aorun knew that Marowak as a species were very emotional, and he used this information to explain away the way she dropped down and started to cry.

"Oh, don't break down!" Leek implored. "Tag is an easy game - even Aorun knows how to play this!"

Aorun put on his best, eager smile. "Yeah- wait, what? Hey, Leek, that's mean..."

"You'll remember how to play in no time, I promise." To prove his point, he jumped forward bravely and planted a paw on her leg. Still sniffling, Trixie watched the paw calmly. "You're it! Now you have to chase us around." Still sobbing a little, the Marowak rose up to her feet and watched as Leek jumped away.

She took a step forward and observed how the two children scattered, desperate to get a head start on the fast Hero of Time. "Arceus, this is embarrassing," she giggled. Inferno stepped back as well, and the Marowak started to choose her target. Eventually, however, she simply stopped and shook her head. "I don't know," Trixie sighed, "but this game may not be the one for - _hah!_" Without any warning, the Marowak flew at Inferno, claw stretched and ready to tag.

Generally, when Leek was close enough to Aorun or the other way around, it meant that the title of _it_ would soon be changing hands. Even so Inferno had been duped by his partner, however, the Quilava somehow slithered away from her reach. The flowers danced about them as Trixie tried to plant her claw on his chest. But his deceptively fast movements kept him at the edge of her attacks. Two blurs replaced the Heroes of Time and it was nearly impossible to follow their movements.

Until a bone club swept Inferno off of his feet. A softened _thud_ rang out as the Quilava slammed into the ground, disoriented. "_Ow_," he groaned, "that hurts."

"Are you going to complain about cheating?" Trixie teased.

"No," Inferno grunted, "but, Trixie... please do not play that rough with the children." The Marowak laughed and spun her club around gleefully.

Aorun was completely taken aback. "We're playing tag with you_?!" _He shouted out, appalled. He turned to Leek and found out that he too was agape. Inferno sat up and gave them an amused glance as he prepared to jump at them. Nodding to one another nervously, they prepared themselves for the craziest game they ever played.

* * *

"Oh, yeah!" Pep said. "I remember that day, kind of. They were very somber when they left, but when they returned, they went about the guild asking if we wanted to play tag. I'm glad to know that it wasn't just a bout of the crazies catching up to them."

Choko rolled his eyes at the dainty Sylveon. "Aorun, you played with them, how often did you say?"

"About three times a week."

The Mienshao shot up, his paws shaking furiously. "Are you kidding me?" he growled. "They wasted three days of their week playing tag with you _brats _yet only two on actually training their new guild-mates? Stupid, lackluster idiots!_" _Enraged beyond reason, he began to walk towards Aorun.

The Sunflora broke out of her own spot and leaped on Maga, putting him back into his spot. "Calm down Maga!" She implored. But she too went into a sudden rage, and started to pin Maga down. Maga struggled, but she seemed to have both experience and surprise on her side. "And they aren't idiots! How dare you?" It was a piercing, upset scream that accompanied the leafy hand striking across the Mienshao's face.

A white paw flew up by the side of the Sunflora's face and threw her down, putting Maga on top. "I don't care what they did! They could have killed Arceus for all I care!" He spat out words wildly, abandoning his stern composure. He wiped a small streak of blood off of his nose onto the long sleeves coming from his arms.

"If they had been around to train more Pokémon, our situation would be completely different now!"

Sunny shifted to the right. A white paw slammed into the place where her head used to be. "Yes, Maga, because they deserved to suffer in a stuffy cave after what they went through, right? I'd like to see you try and persevere through _half_ of what they went through. Y-you could only go through half of it, because no one can stand to be around you! Not even your recruits."

"That's a lie, you stuck-up weed! Enjoy some nepotistic treatment lately? Priority on selecting recruits due to _seniority?_ Please - don't make me laugh!"

Pep stood protectively in front of the new recruit as the Guild Master broke up the battling Pokémon. Disinterested, Choko waited patiently and chewed on his twig. It hurt Aorun to see two of the great commanders fighting, but he also knew that this was a very volatile subject for them all. The Guild Master breathed heavily and tiredly. "Thank you Guild Master Berceuse," Maga gasped. "Sunny's gone insane with delusions."

"You're equally deluded. I expect utmost reverence for Team Reach..." Berceuse looked back, almost as if he would catch the two heroes watching their guild fall apart. "The Heroes of Time."

Maga scowled. "Of course, Guild Master, take the side of your ex-assistant." He leaned in close to Berceuse's face, but the bird did not budge one bit. "But guess what, Berceuse? This isn't the Wigglytuff Guild anymore. It's the Chatot Guild. All of those old positions you're favoring are obsolete. Want to be wise? Try being impartial first."

"How much do you like your position, Maga?" Berceuse asked casually. "I have to admit that your youthful vigor has its moments... but this new behavior is fraying my nerves. Cease this childish behavior, or I will."

"This guild won't survive without me," the Mienshao replied, his voice shaky and unsure. "You wouldn't do something like that-"

Pep slid her way in between the group, cutting their conversation short. "Fellas, let's not do this in front of Aorun, okay?" The Guild Master and the commander stared at each other, only moving away when their opponent did. Sunny closed her eyes and sighed heavily, wiping away tears. The Sylveon tried to reassure the extremely distraught Tyrunt. "Okay, sweetie - just a little guild politics. Please get to the point. When does the _Final Frontier _come into your life?"

If they didn't like the story about tag, they would kill him for what came next. Even so, the Tyrunt would rather die than be kept out of the guild. "Well, I first learned of it in the middle of the snowy winter, where snow fell even so we live next to the beach. The river froze over, and the meadow became covered by snow and the flowers died - it was still pretty, though. The... the Heroes of Time went there - to the Final Frontier. They said goodbye to Leek and me in the meadow one day and never came back."

Before any sort of objection or panicked response could erupt from his commanders, Berceus flung a wing towards the roof of the room. "_No!" _He yelled back; he didn't even need to see his subordinates to see that they wanted to react. Even Choko's eyes burned with curiosity and surprise. "I wish to hear this information without interruption. If he really is the last one to see the Heroes of Time before... before they went to the Final Frontier, this concerns me directly."

Aorun gritted his teeth. This part wasn't easy, but at least it was short. A short memory and a shorter story. He still remembered the quietness of the meadow that he would never visit again after that frigid day.

* * *

**Two months into the Coldest Winter**

Trixie, Leek and Aorun snuggled up close to Inferno, using the heat emanating from his back to keep warm. The winter had taken a terrible turn for the worse, becoming the most frigid winter in Treasure Town's long history. Snow, of all things, somehow fell from the sky and killed all of the plants and made everyone miserable.

It had reached a temperature too cold for tag, and they could only resist the weather, now. None were more disconcerted by the cold than Trixie, whose nearly-frantic breaths could be seen as little puffs of smoke floating into the snowed-over meadow.

Hacking coughs came from Leek, who shook and shivered much more than his friend. "Leek," Aorun said nervously, "you should go home to your father and mother. They are warm and indoors. This is too much for you."

"I-i-i-it's okay, Aorun, I'm o-o-okay. Don't worry. My dad needs to help mother more than me, anyway. She's sick too." The Tepig trembled and moved in closer to the Quilava. He opened up his arm and took him in. In this extremely cold Winter, Pokémon worked together to stay warm. Even the townsfolk going about on errands kept close to one another, in fear of the effects this frigid freeze bore upon them.

"No, no one is okay," Trixie whispered. "It's too cold, too unnaturally cold. But... but we're going to fix it, right Inferno?"

This was news to the young children. They wondered what they would do to stay warm if the Heroes of Time left retirement. Maybe it wouldn't matter; Trixie just promised them that the weather would improve.

If the tear rolled down the face of any other Pokémon than the Quilava, it would have soon transformed into ice. "Wait," Aorun asked curiously, "where are you going?"

Inferno didn't typically fall into the same fits as the Marowak, but he now gritted his teeth and averted his eyes. His back burned hotter with the emotions he only barely refrained from expressing. It made the Tyrunt's hide tingle but his blood run cold. "We barely survived the Time Gear Crisis, Trixie. I'm not sure... not sure if we-"

"It doesn't matter!" Trixie cried, holding onto him desperately. "As long as we go together, as long as we go at the same time. We were never meant to leave exploring and fighting behind, even if the last two months made it seem that way." She turned towards the two shivering children, her eyes dull and sad. "Thank you, Aorun and Leek. It has been a great two months. Without you, we may have not had the strength for what comes next."

Leek shivered violently and sneezed. He looked far less plump than usual, almost emaciated. This spoke of bad health in any Pokémon, but especially in a Tepig. Tepig should never avoid eating because their fat trapped the heat within them. "W-w-w-what comes next?" Leek questioned, fighting off the harsh Winter.

With a quick sweep of her bone club, Trixie revealed two satchels, hidden under the snow. To thaw them out, she threw their straps over the Quilava. Had the two really been stashing away supplies for a trip inside the hidden meadow? Aorun gasped; this was a secret mission! "Wow!" He yelled, amazed. "We didn't mean to reveal your secret mission. We won't tell anyone, that's a promise!"

A drawn-out chuckle came from them both. "You have been too kind," Trixie told them. The two children glowed with satisfaction, pleased that the Hero of Time was pleased. "As for where we go... if we're lucky, out to the East, to a special forest. Otherwise, friends..." she knelt down and hugged them both tightly. "Otherwise, we'll be exploring the Final Frontier."

"F-F-F-Final Frontier?"

"Yes," Inferno answered calmly. "None return. Great Pokémon as we've become explore its halls forever. Out of any Mystery Dungeon one may see in this world, the Final Frontier is the end. The last gauntlet. But do not fret about us," he said, smiling. "As long as Trixie and I may explore it together, we will be cheerful and happy, as happy as you have made us with games of tag and hide-and-seek."

Aorun's stomach began to hurt, and not because he couldn't find a decent breakfast that morning. Something was wrong, but he didn't know what. When Trixie and Inferno embraced, holding on to one another needfully, it looked so unsure and made everything quiet. Snowdrops melted on the Quilava's warm head and dripped onto Trixie's helm, to the point where they were almost drenched in freezing streaks of water.

Soft as the snow, a quiet whisper came from the Marowak: "goodbye". To whom she said it, the Tyrunt did not know.

"Wait," she told Inferno. "I have one thing left to do before we leave." They were leaving _right then_?! Aorun frowned, devastated by the news.

One of the satchel's rustled like leaves in the wind while the Marowak looked through it. She stared at the object inside for a while, but finally removed it hesitantly. A red and blue stone, decorated finely with great symbols, shone in her claws. It was the key to the Hidden Land! Aorun recognized it from her stories! What came next shocked him: "here, Aorun," Trixie said, "take it. I hope it brings you strength like it did for me. You will survive the Winter, even without a home."

No words could possibly be exchanged. The object now in the Tyrunt's tiny arms was literally priceless. Leek marveled at the intricate patterns, and was even a bit jealous. Trixie huddled up close to Inferno, and they started their slow walk out of the meadow.

At the very edge, however, Inferno turned around. "If we do return," he called out without looking back. "We plan to adopt you, Aorun." The Tyrunt stepped forward hopefully, inspiration sparkling in his eyes. To have a family... to _be family_ with the Heroes of Time was a dream come true. The frigid field, now gradually becoming colder without the Quilava, was now a Winter wonderland. A true dream. He jumped forward and cried out his goodbyes as the two Heroes of Time disappeared into the bleak treeline.

* * *

Berceuse, a Guild Master both resolute and strong, kept his emotions under check, even now. Everyone in the room remained silent, unsure of what to say. Somewhere in the story, Choko had snapped his twig in half, the remains resting on the stone floor under him. "And I presume that this inspired you to put the Final Frontier as your goal," the Chatot said callously. "Because you want to meet your almost-parents."

A grunt of agreement was all Aorun could muster up after the tough story. The knot in his stomach became worse and spread to his throat. He desired very much to cry.

"Poor thing," Pep cooed, "you must not know what the Final Frontier means." She pawed at her face.

"Obviously the dolt doesn't know," Maga muttered solemnly. "Kid, the Final Frontier is explorer talk for-"

"For the hardest dungeon," Choko finished for the Mienshao. "It is a very brave goal, Aorun, but one that may need to be downsized. Not every Pokémon can reach somewhere as dark and mysterious as the Final Frontier." He picked up one half of his twig and mulled over it. "The Heroes of Time may be the only explorers capable of completing such a thing. I think that you should choose-"

"_Never!" _Aorun cried. "I can do it, I know I can!

Choko eyed him curiously, appreciating his stubbornness but not wholly understanding it. "Why? What makes you think that way? Are you stupid or something?"

Aorun stood his ground, refusing to have his mind be changed. He allowed the Chimecho who helped him fill out the application put it down for a reason. Even when she warned him not to, he did so anyway! He had his reasons, and the guild would accept them. They simply had to! "I can do it," he screamed proudly, "because Leek went there too!"

The half-twig split apart once again, falling to the ground as Choko bit into it way too hard. Everyone in the small room collectively winced or groaned. Only Choko seemed capable of talking. "Explain this, Aorun."

Pep, already beyond her comfort zone, began to whimper. "P-poor thing," she choked out. Closing her eyes tightly, she rushed past Aorun and towards the door. "I can't conduct this interview any longer," Pep squeaked. "I deny Aorun for my team." The Guild Master did not attempt to stop her as she ran from the room. Flora shook her flowery head and silently walked towards the door as well.

She turned around, holding the door open and staring back at her colleagues. "Oh my gosh," Flora said. "I... oh my gosh. I deny Aorun for my team." Maga rose too. After all of his efforts, the new recruit could only watch as Choko once again came to be his only hope.

The intimidating Mienshao wiped fresh blood off of his wound and stood over Aorun. "Naive brat. No one here has the time to be passing out reality checks. I deny this naive child for my team." He pushed the recruit out of the way and walked through the door.

Then there were two. Berceuse rolled up the Tyrunt's application. "Wrap it up," he said, "we have other interviews to conduct, and you have thoroughly rattled our panel enough for one day. When did Leek enter the Final Frontier?"

"Near the end of the season," Aorun answered frailly, his arms and legs shaking with stress. "He became very weak, tired and cold. Then, one day, I was at his home watching over him while his father went into the market to get him medicine. He was very, very cold. And he told me... he told me that I should leave - he wanted to take a very long, nice nap."

"So I left and the next day Leek was gone. His father was very sad. When I asked him what happened to Leek, he said that he went on to a better place. Like his mother did earlier in the Winter. And when I asked if that better place was the Final Frontier, he began to cry and say_yes_ over and over. Leek knew I was too weak to go to the Final Frontier, so he lied and sneaked away in the nighttime. But I'm ready now. I'm big and resourceful, like you said, Guild Master. I'm begging you, Berceuse and Choko - _give me the chance I deserve to follow in my friend's footsteps!_"

Choko got up and walked towards the door, passing the heaving Tyrunt on his way out. The recruit's heart stopped; this was it - the final nail in his coffin!

Instead, however, the Pangoro opened up the door and waited. "I'll think about it," he answered. "If you can find something or someone to help you along, it'll be more than just thinking, Aorun. Now go outside and breathe some fresh air and try not to think about what you've said today."

Sobbing happily, the Tyrunt slowly made his way out of the door. A surprised Joltik chirped at the large Pokémon, confused as to what just happened and why three commanders stormed out of the interview room. Aorun stopped to answer, but then changed his mind, continuing his silent walk out of the Chatot Guild.

"Choko," Berceuse addressed as he watched the child leave, "why did you tell him that?"

"Because it's the truth."

"Is the opportunity to have a dragon type on your team too intoxicating? I respect your opinion, but there are too many shortcomings in the child; reality would tear him apart quickly, and he would never be on good terms with his fellow members."

Choko grinned and patted the bird on the back, making him cough. "Sheesh, lighten up," he ordered. "These natural disasters and this silly _battle for our existence_ really does have us all on edge, huh? Finding someone so stupidly optimistic in Treasure Town these days is like finding a needle in a haystack."

The Chatot scowled at the commander. "Stupid optimism isn't something we need right now. We need fierce fighters and calm thinkers."

The commander returned the scowl. "Hey, remember this? _Oh Arceus help us,"_ Choko mimicked, waving his arms about in mock-distress. "Time is stopping everywhere. Nobody can do anything against Dialga, he's too strong! Every Pokémon should hide, don't be stupid and fight back!_" _He pointed his huge paw at the Chatot. "Twelve hours later, a Marowak and a Quilava defeated the corrupt Dialga and saved the world. But you must be right. What has stupid optimism ever done for us?"

For the first time in a long while, the Guild Master smiled. "Cheeky, insubordinate... leave it to Choko." He ruffled his feathers. "That's quite enough moping, everyone! Maya, Allow the Joltik to enter!" The Chimecho peeked into the room and nodded.

* * *

"Sheesh, I've really done it," the Tyrunt chuckled nervously between sobs as he walked out of the Chatot Guild. "I cried in front of the Guild Master, Leek. I-I'll never live it down - that Joltik saw me crying and everything. But... but I think I did it. I have a real chance of joining the Chatot Guild and finding you." Various recruits, anxious and anticipating their own interviews, looked over to the edge of the hill where the Tyrunt now sat.

The wide expanse of the green Spring, so much warmer than the harsh Winter seasons ago, rolled on infinitely. The Tyrunt marveled at it all; the beautiful forests green and lush; the main river, leading to a secret cave filled with gems, now a sacred relic from the Heroes of Time; a mountain range, with many caves to test the explorer's skill; the rolling plains, filled with small intrigues hidden out of sight by hills and secret dungeons. As a guild member, he would be required to taste in all the mystery of this world.

"Leek... I don't understand the world we live in. Novo confuses me, and I don't think it will ever be different for me. But, with every day, I grow stronger! I grow older! A step closer to making sense of it all!" All the recruits murmured and pointed at the Tyrunt muttering to himself. Aorun didn't care. "Tall, ferocious, and equipped with these sharp teeth of mine, I'll cut a path to you! Everyone left me behind, but now is my chance! To join you all... on the Final Frontier!"


	2. Chapter 2

"Time to begin my search for an ally!" Aorun announced to himself, bouncing about the small clearing that sat at the base of the Chatot Guild. There weren't many souls to be found, which confused the Tyrunt; It was very uncharacteristic for Pokémon to say no to a good Spring breeze and the sweet smell of flowers. Even the meadow near the river had regrown its plant life in this powerful Spring season - although Aorun couldn't yet bring himself to visit it.

There was, however, a single Mightyena guarding the road to unknown lands. Shabby the Mightyena stood by the main entrance into Treasure Town every day. He kept bad Pokémon out and insisted that good citizens stay inside the safe boundaries of the town. The Tyrunt watched him from a distance, observing curiously the way he twitched and whined.

Nonetheless, Shabby was a strong guard - perfect for impressing Choko! And Aorun considered him a good friend_._ "Shabby!" Aorun called out, running towards him. The Mightyena jumped and turned around frantically, his breathing erratic and eyes wild. "Shabby, I need to-"

"Oh thank Arceus you're here!" The Mightyena shouted. His voice had become shrill with desperation and insane with need. "Please, lower your head!" The Tyrunt cocked his head to the side to show that he didn't quite follow. "_Put your chinny-chin-chin to the ground, Aorun!"_

This would be a good way to start on Shabby's good side! Smiling, Aorun complied and put his chin the ground. He withheld all his questions, even when the Mightyena started to scrape his back over the top of his head.

The Tyrunt felt his teeth grate against each other as Shabby dug his back into the spikes on his head. "Oh, by every Legendary, that feels good. _Oh, yeah._" He sighed contentedly and fell to the ground, content with the scratching session. From his spot on the dirt floor, the Mightyena rolled his eyes. "Well, talk about one tick killing another, huh? What is it this time?"

Shabby always called him a tick, so he let the comment pass harmlessly. "Do you have another tick problem?" Aorun asked.

"What? That's none of your business!" Shabby retorted.

"It really does smell like it." The Mightyena rolled back to his feet, appalled by the harsh honesty coming from the Tyrunt. It was completely true, and they both knew it; Shabby's avoidance of rivers and bodies of water really helped him earn his name. The scent of unwashed fur wafted from the Mightyena's unruly coat. Shabby had been out hunting in the nearby forest recently as well, the smell of fresh game trapped in his uncleaned claws.

He resumed his original place at the town's exit. "Okay, so I do," he muttered begrudgingly. "What's it to you, anyway?"

"If you slowly enter the water, the ticks will slowly climb up your body until they must jump off. If you do it too fast, though, they'll simply go under with you-"

"I'm not entering the _stinking_ river!" Shabby groaned. Aorun stifled a few chuckles about his interesting choice of words. "I mean, not that I doubt you know every damned thing about ticks; you've latched on to this town like nothing else. I keep expecting to just see you keel over, but you continue to come by every day... someone ought to submerge the town slowly and get rid of you."

They both laughed heartily. Choko was right about getting fresh air and clearing his mind. The day, besides its harsh beginning, was now very lighthearted. Other than ticks, Shabby was in a fantastic mood. "But, seriously kiddo, I'm glad to see you're still alive and kicking. What can I do for you? You paid me earlier this month, and you've never been one to socialize."

Determined and inspired by the kind words, the Tyrunt used the pleased tingling in his hide to carry him through the proposal. "S-Shabby, I applied to the Chatot Guild today!" He said excitedly.

"Fantastic!" Shabby barked. Delicious Caterpie - it was definitely lingering on the Mightyena's breath. Learning how to hunt for food posed the greatest learning curve Aorun ever experienced. Two years ago, when he first began to bribe Shabby for the chance to go out and hunt, he caught absolutely nothing. Only after taking cues from what Shabby himself hunted could he find the easiest game.

Eventually he discovered the reasoning and strategy behind each quarry. For example: the warm temperature of this Spring day would put the Caterpie under the shade of rocks. Worried more with flying Pokémon than ground predators, even a wary Caterpie soon found itself caught in a quiet Mightyena's claws or stealthy Tyrunt's jaw. Annoyed by the Tyrunt's sniffing, Shabby blew cold air at Aorun's nose. "Wow, gee wiz, I ate green worm! Why would you care? You're set up for life, kid!"

"No, not yet," Aorun told him slowly. "I... I need someone to help me. Commander Choko says I need someone else to join with me."

It hurt the Mightyena to do it, but he shook his disheveled head and flopped his ears back. "Oh, I'm sorry, kiddo... Choko and I aren't on good terms. He sleeps one door down from me in the Chatot Guild, and he can't stand the_ 'terrible stench'_, you see. He'd turn me down in a heartbeat, since we bicker about it all the time... like an old couple or something."

The Tyrunt hung his head, disappointed but understanding. "Oh, I see," Aorun muttered. "Don't worry about it." He turned around, eager to resume his search, when he realized he almost forgot something. "If I don't find anyone, I'm going out hunting later today," the Tyrunt told Shabby solemnly.

"Okay pal," Shabby said, trying to sound comforting. His scratchy, silly voice didn't help this effort. "Remember: if an exploration team finds you, you used the secret path on the beach. And don't go out farther than the lighter trees. Or else you'll be in the Proxima Forest Mystery Dungeon. That's no good, almost-explorer!" Aorun smiled bleakly and took his leave of the Mightyena before he needed to scratch his back again.

With Shabby no longer a viable option, Aorun racked his brain to find the most logical follow-up. It didn't take his mind long to conjure up one: Caretaker Momala! His old Caretaker would surely support his entrance into the guild. His hope renewed, he dashed away from the bottom of the Chatot Guild's hill and towards town.

* * *

Even so the Winter had passed by a long time ago, Pokémon still traveled together in groups. In the spread-out layout of Treasure Town, where buildings haphazardly dotted the landscape, Aorun saw many Pokémon milling about lazily from building to building. They huddled close together, talking and interacting with other groups as they went about the dirt paths.

Every time he saw the townsfolk walking about, he couldn't avoid recalling Treasure Town's silliest tradition; Sometimes, in really weird situations, a small ritual took place in Treasure Town: the gathering.

One extremely icy day, a group of Pokémon joined up with another for more warmth. Without consciously noticing, this larger group grabbed another group, and so on. Eventually, half of Treasure Town walked about town in a giant mob, until one wise Pokémon realized what was going on and stopped it. Ever since, it had been Treasure Town tradition to repeat this silly occurrence. Treasure Town humor was simply confounding.

As a Plusle and Minun skipped over and snuggled up to a pair of differently colored Nidoran, Aorun hoped that the gathering did not start. He had things to do.

Right now, the thing to do was to knock on Caretaker Momala's beautifully painted door. Even the tiniest of mistakes could scratch the door's precious rainbow of colors. Auron graciously tapped on the door of the petite stone house and waited for an answer.

A gentle Delcatty swung open the door, a warm smile on her face. Seeing the Tyrunt wiped it straight off. Replacing it was stern surprise.

"I'm sorry but I have no food for you, Aorun," Caretaker Momala stammered hastily. She closed her eyes and waited for the Tyrunt to leave, but all the young child did was stare oddly at her.

"I'm not here for food... I wanted to talk to you about something."

This did not relieve the Delcatty, but she at least regarded him after their long time apart. "I... wow. Aorun, how long has it been? Two years? Your hide is very healthy and you're well fed. Did you find a good home to take care of you?" The Caretaker asked in her normal, soothing tone.

The Tyrunt shook his head. "No, Caretaker Momala. I took good care of myself like you told me to. All by myself, I should mention!" After all this time away from her, Aorun felt very proud when he relayed how well off he was. "Nobody helped me very much or gave me free food; I did almost everything by myself, no help necessary-"

"Are you here to berate me for closing down the orphanage?" The Delcatty suddenly hissed. Aorun stood back, agape at the uninvited hostility. For the second time in just as many minutes, Caretaker Momala became very defensive of her home and of herself. "I hadn't the resources to keep it open nor money to feed any of you for very long. It was just a silly passing kindness that I couldn't upkeep. Did you think I broke my promise to you all on purpose?"

"N-no," Aorun whimpered, not liking his Caretaker's chastising tone. "And I wouldn't call six years a _passing kindness_. You did a great job with me."

"Do you live with the other orphans in the abandoned building?" Caretaker Momala asked suspiciously. "Is this a trick?" Aorun stared at her wordlessly, not knowing how to respond to his Caretaker anymore. If she kept up the mean-spirited words, it would make him cry; Aorun was a good Tyrunt while he lived at her big orphanage on the Bluff. "I swear to you,_ if you don't stop harassing my child when she goes into town, you'll all be in huge trouble!_"

That did it. Aorun heated up with shame and turned his back to the Caretaker. Tears stung his eyes and he sniffled softly. Where were these tears hiding during his interview? What a silly, childish Pokémon he was - always sobbing away when the Caretaker yelled at him. She melted his composure with the heat of a Moltres. "Okay, okay now. Don't cry," the Delcatty cooed. "I lost my head, that was very bad. What do you need, sweetie?"

Not that it mattered anymore; a small Skitty emerged from the house and hid behind her mother. "Mama, who's this Pokémon?" She squeaked shyly. "Is he one of the bullies? Tell him off, mama, I don't want my lunch stolen again." Choko wouldn't knowingly let a nurturing mother onto his team. As the Delcatty worked to calm him down, however, he knew that he couldn't stand by idly after what he heard.

"Who's bullying your daughter, Caretaker Momala?" He mumbled as the Caretaker wiped his tears away.

She only shook her head gently. "The other orphans formed a gang after the orphanage closed down, Aorun." That much he knew already. He missed his old friends and the halls of his home, but being abandoned made them all very violent. Aorun didn't like being around it, just one of many reasons he lived on his own. "They are threatening my poor daughter whenever she goes into town. Don't worry about it though, okay? I'm sorry for being so angry, but I must protect my child."

Determined, the Tyrunt broke out of the Delcatty's pawing and stood tall. "I'll speak with them," he said resolutely. "They'll listen to me, I think."

"Really, big creature?!" The Skitty wailed happily, coming out from under her mother's legs. "Thank you _so-oo-o _much! I'll love you forever and ever if you do - we'll become partners for life!"

Stunned by the allegation, the Tyrunt laughed awkwardly. "You're kind of not the partner I'm looking for, hehe..." he turned to his Caretaker and put on a grim, tough face. "Don't worry, Caretaker Momala, that gang won't be bullying your daughter once I'm done."

"Oh, pray don't be rash!" She pleaded. "Run at the first sign of danger, sweetie - and tell them that I am still... still very sorry. If I could repair the place, I would." The Skitty's limited attention finally ran out, and she started to tug on her mother's tail. The Delcatty smiled at the Tyrunt, ready to close her rainbow door.

It pained him to tack on his next request, but this was an opportunity he couldn't waste. "If I do this, do you think that you could send a recommendation to the Chatot Guild?"

The Delcatty agreed happily. "Of course, Aorun. You were always so decently mannered. If you handle this situation maturely, I'll be more than ready to send in a quick note. Good bye, Aorun - we'll have to talk again soon, okay? Stay safe." And with that, a two-year reunion ended suddenly with the shutting of Caretaker Momala's rainbow door.

Now he was stuck running an errand! "At least," he told himself proudly, "it's a very noble deed, indeed. And... and maybe one of the other orphans will want to join the Chatot Guild with me!" Before any of this reached its fruition, however, the Tyrunt knew he had another responsibility: visiting Leek's father. It wasn't far from here, and not stopping by would be cruel. The Skitty was safe for now, anyway. Shining a chipper smile at the warm fields of Treasure Town, he set off towards Leek's old, distant red house.


End file.
